E-commerce has steadily grown in recent years, accounting for over 8% of all retail sales in 2016 with projections indicating this trend will continue to accelerate in the years to come. This increase has seen a corresponding rise in retailers' use of parcel delivery services such as the United States Post Office, UPS, FedEx, and others to deliver goods to their customers. Unfortunately, incidences of package theft have also seen sharp increases that correspond with the growing prevalence of online shopping and the delivery infrastructure supporting it. Studies indicate that around 11 million homes are victimized by so-called “package pirates” every year. Package theft is frequently described as a crime of opportunity. Packages are often left unattended by couriers and in plain view of passersby, thereby providing the opportunity for potential thieves to spot and intercept the delivery. There is rarely a substantial risk in investigating or taking unattended packages, and the reward can be quite lucrative. In many instances, packages are left at customers' residences while they are at work, school, or even on vacation, leaving the delivered package unattended for extended periods of time. With nearly three quarters of reported package thefts occurring when the victim was not home, securing unattended packages is an important package theft prevention strategy. As e-commerce is primed to continue to grow in popularity for the foreseeable future, effective, cost efficient, and aesthetically pleasing strategies for securing unattended packages will become increasingly important.
One such strategy is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,428,980 to Irwin et al. (“Irwin”). Irwin discloses a parcel collection device structured to receive and secure packages in a package container in a manner similar to parcel drop boxes used by most parcel couriers. Packages are inserted into a parcel drop, which is structured to rotate about a horizontal axis using a variety of weights, levers, and other components. Upon rotating the parcel drop, any package therein apparently drops into the package container, which can be locked to prevent unauthorized access. While this and other solutions may prevent the theft of some packages, improved and/or alternative strategies for securing packages left at residences remain desirable.